Summer Camp Wrap

During a staff meeting a few months ago, someone suggested we try
something akin to "random acts of violins" for the last day of summer
camp. We could all hop on our favorite Blue Bus, then stop off and
surprise people around Providence with a camp orchestra performance.
Well, it was a long day and an exhausting one, but we did it! And
each place we stopped, we were asked if we would please come back to
play again soon.

First stop: The Steel Yard. We got a 'safety talk' and
saw the incredibly ornate fence-work and industrial art trash bins that
students at Camp Metalhead and young adults working there for the
summer had completed. We set up indoors due to the rain and gave our
first performance of the Tuning Hoedown, Improvisation Games, Rockin'
Strings, Have You Been To Ireland? and Mairi's Wedding among the
welding and blacksmithing tools. 

Next stop: Bannister House, a nursing home facility
right down the street from Community MusicWorks. Our audience was
ready and waiting for us and even fed us all ice cream sundaes after
our performances. Then it was time to go run around at the Dexter Park
playground for a while and let off some steam.

Final stop: Mathewson Street United Methodist
Church Community Meal, run by the Providence Intown Churches
Association (PICA). Our hosts here were so gracious; they really
thought of our music as a special treat during the much needed meal.
It was a huge performance space and the first time we were up on a
stage. Lots of parents came to see this last performance which was a
great ending to the day and the program.

A huge thank you to the regular volunteers that made this summer camp happen: Paul, Luis, Montana & Yael. Thanks to Kirby, Jori, Chloe, Jessie, Minna & Sebastian for all being there to support one of our camp days. And thanks to Betsy, Colleen, and Katherine who joined us to make our final day a success!

-Rachel Panitch, CMW staff